Rodents, pests, and other burrowing animals such as moles and gophers can cause significant property damage. If not controlled, burrowing animals can damage lawns, gardens, crops, homes, and property. These animals, including gophers and moles, are often difficult to catch, kill, or prevent from burrowing and causing damage.
Some conventional techniques for controlling burrowing animals (e.g., gopher, mole, and other burrowing creatures) include poisons, deterrents (e.g., fences), and traps. Some conventional techniques use poisons to control burrowing animal populations, but these can also cause undesirable harm by poisoning soil, polluting water tables, affecting crops, or causing other adverse environmental or ecological effects. Deterrents such as fences can also be used, but burrowing animals are often able to dig underneath or chew through deterrents, regardless of whether a portion of the fence has been buried. Traps are still another conventional solution, but there is a large variation in the design and material of the traps, leading to mixed and, often, unsuccessful results.
For example, some conventional traps are designed for placement inside the mouth or opening of a hole burrowed by an animal (e.g., gopher, mole, and the like). Animals are forced to move across or over parts of the trap for activation, but various parts of conventional traps have large, solid cross-sectional areas that can intimidate or discourage an animal from entering the trap. Other conventional problems include failure to kill an animal that springs a trap due to inadequate spring tension, or compromised function due to corroded or deteriorated components. Some conventional traps have mechanisms that produce inadequate force to hold and kill animals, resulting in animals escaping from traps and becoming “trap shy.” Another problem with conventional traps is the large numbers of parts and complex manufacturing requirements (e.g., soldering numerous components together). Further, conventional traps may be difficult to use, set, or trip, also resulting in decreased effectiveness. Still further, some conventional traps use materials that deteriorate or corrode over time, particularly when placed in-ground and exposed to moisture-laden setting such as lawns, golf courses, gardens, and the like. Weakened components or increased friction on moving parts due to corrosion or deterioration can result in the complete failure of conventional traps.
Thus, what is needed is an animal trap without the limitations of conventional techniques.